Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design

An Encyclopedia of Mechanisms

Geoffrey Engelstein author Isaac Shalev author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Publishing:15th Jul '26

£51.99

This title is due to be published on 15th July, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design cover

Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design: An Encyclopedia of Mechanisms, Third Edition compiles hundreds of game mechanisms, organized by category. The book can be read cover-to-cover and used as a reference to solve a specific design problem or for inspiration and research on new designs. This third edition collects even more mechanisms, expands on and updates existing entries, and includes color images. Building Blocks is a great starting point for new designers, a handy guidebook for the experienced, and an ideal classroom reference.

Each Game Mechanisms Entry Contains:

  • The definition of the mechanism
  • An explanatory diagram of the mechanism
  • Discussion of how the mechanism is used in successful games
  • Considerations for implementing the mechanism in new designs
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"Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design is a much-needed atlas for the explorer—giving a framework of what to look for in a game, and a focus for game play that will be useful for understanding the whole.” — Richard Garfield, creator of Magic: The Gathering

"People talk about the art of game design or the craft of game design. Engelstein and Shalev hone in on the science of game design with a razor-sharp scalpel." — Rob Daviau, creator of Risk: Legacy and Chief Restoration Officer of Restoration Games

"The most comprehensive and well-researched encyclopedia of game mechanisms that I’ve seen to date." — Matt Leacock, creator of Pandemic

"The value of this work lies not only in the thoughtful descriptions and discussions of the building blocks themselves, but in the cataloging of example games for each section. So many design problems have been solved before, and this book gives designers a handy overview of those solutions." – Elizabeth Hargrave, designer of Wingspan

ISBN: 9781032985107

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 1025g

424 pages

3rd edition